Did you like Ico? How about Journey? Robot Dreams? Do you like wordless stories that pack an emotional punch? How about creative use of game controls?
Have I got a game for you.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (available on both PS4 and XBox 360) is exactly that. It’s the story of two brothers going on an epic journey in order to save their sick father by travelling to a distant land to retrieve the water of life. Challenges range from getting through the village with a mischievous child closing gates in your path to wending your way through a landscape devastated by a battle between giants. Through the challenges they face, you’ll watch the relationship between brothers grow and deepen.
The gameplay system means that either you are simultaneously controlling each boy with half of your controller, or else cuddled very close to someone else where each of you can control one character. Either way, the nature of the controls means you’ll be deeply invested in how the story plays out.
This is a tense, tight story that can be completed in an afternoon, but will likely linger in your mind long after that. Bring tissues.